1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a storage and transportation rack having folding shelves for the stacked reception of flat components.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A storage and transportation rack of this type is known from the German Pat. No. 29 30 053. In the rack disclosed in this patent, a plurality of shelves are pivotably mounted closely one above the other on support columns. Each shelf is capable of adopting a generally vertical position in which it is retracted between the columns, an inclined position for receiving a flat component and a generally horizontal support position.
Each shelf has a support part on which the component rests and a control arm. The control arms of adjacent shelf elements cooperate with one another in such a manner that as a shelf is pivoted into its horizontal position by the weight of a component placed upon it, its control arm pivots the shelf above it into an inclined position to receive the next component.
In this known rack, the support part and the control arm of each shelf are arranged in closely adjoining planes and the control arm also acts as a counterweight in order to cause the support part to swing back into its retracted position when the component is removed. For this reason, the support part must be kept as light as possible, for example by drilling holes in it, while the control arm must be weighted. Such a construction necessitates a relatively large distance, for example 3 cm, to be maintained between the stacked components. This storage rack also has the disadvantage that the receiving elements cannot be locked in their supporting position, as would be required for transportation.
There is also known from German Specification No. 901 040, a rack designed for similar bundles of bar material in which the receiving elements are provided not only with support and control arms but also with their own counterweights. This patent does not enable close packing of the shelves, nor does it allow the shelves to be locked in their supporting positions.